Laid-Off ESPN People Sound Strangely Grateful On Social Media

ESPN, the massive sports broadcasting juggernaut, has been waylaid by the changing media landscape like everyone else. Once thought unassailable because its live content couldn’t be binge-watched or victimized by ad-cutting, the great cable un-bundling has hit the network. ESPN’s latest round of layoffs come as no surprise except perhaps in its size and depth. At least 100 writers and on-air personalities are losing their gigs.

Maybe the no-surprise factor is at work in their reactions, which on social media have tended toward gratitude over bitterness and anger. (The latter are common reactions to layoffs.) So far anyway, the laid-off ESPN workers — at least those who have been quick to post — are mostly expressing the notion that they had a pretty good ride while it lasted. There are exceptions, like Danny Kanell:

Poured my heart and soul into ESPN for last 8 years. Moved my wife and 3 kids to CT to go “all in” 5 years ago. Bummed it ended in 3 minutes

ESPN, the massive sports broadcasting juggernaut, has been waylaid by the changing media landscape like everyone else. Once thought unassailable because its live content couldn’t be binge-watched or victimized by ad-cutting, the great cable un-bundling has hit the network. ESPN’s latest round of layoffs come as no surprise except perhaps in its size and depth. At...